Juniors give their best at All Stars national carnival
The Toyota Whanganui Swim Team’s juniors (12 and under) emerged from the All Stars (Lower North Island and Tasman) national carnival last weekend with a 100 per cent strike rate of personal bests.
The team converged on the Wellington meet in numberswith a focus on personal improvement. Whanganui’s highest points scorer was 11-year-old Aria Bannister who dominated in her favoured breaststroke events with wins in the 100m and 200m and second in the 50m event. She backed that up with thirds in the 200m freestyle, 50m butterfly and the 200m individual medley and scored personal bests (PBs) in every race she swam.
The next highest point scorer was 12-year-old Allan Thongskul who qualified for four events at the NZ Div 2 meet in Dunedin (for swimmers 12 and over) and picked up a second placing in the 50m backstroke. He also achieved 100 per cent success with PBs in every event he competed in, including a 12 second PB in the 100m butterfly.
Ten-year-olds Eli Abraham and Hamish Cranstone also had a fine meet with Cranstone gaining a second in the 200m breaststroke and a third in the 100m breaststroke while Abraham had two excellent third placings in the 100m and 200m backstroke.
Whanganui’s two youngest swimmers were among the top 10 placed swimmers in the team. Then 9-year-old Ihaia Cooper picked up a fifth place in the boys 10 and under 200m IM while 9-year-old Caralie Hanna claimed 10th in the 10 and under 100m backstroke. Her 12-yearold brother Regan Hanna swam PBs in every event and picked up six individual top-10 finishes as well as a NZ Div 2 qualifying time, while 11-year-old Reagan Carver also swam multiple PBs and picked up four top10 placings.
Whanganui’s 10-year-old Sophie Young-Wilson placed in the top 10 in all four of her individual events with two 6th placings an 8th and a 9th place.
The Whanganui relay team of Caralie Hanna, Abraham, Bannister, Carver, Sophie Bell, and Thongskul picked up 6th spot in the 12 and under 6 x 50m freestyle event, where one swimmer from each gender and age group represents the club.
The team also picked up 7th spot in the boys 12 and under 4 x 50m freestyle relay consisting of Thongskul, Regan Hanna, Thomas Gowan and Carver.
Bannister, Young-Wilson, Bridget Trott and Bell placed 11th in the girls 12 and under 4 x 50m freestyle relay and Bridget Trott, Bannister, Regan Hanna and Thongskul placed 12th in the mixed 4 x 50m freestyle medley relay.
Whanganui’s Anya Carlson (11), Emily Corchoran (11), Brooke McGinnis (11), Sophie Trott (11) and Piper Whiteman (12) all swam PBs
The boys placed an impressive 4th in the overall points and the girls also impressed with a 9th placing overall.
The Toyota team will now contest the upcoming Manawatu Champs.